Smoke-conductor for railroad-trains



- (No Model.)

E. T. WATKINS,

Smoke Conductor for Railroad Trains.

Bat ented 'Dec. 14,1880.

' NFETERS. PHOTO-LITHQGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND T. WATKINS, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

SMOKE-CONDUCTOR FOR RAILROAD-TRAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,474, dated December 14:, 1880.

Application filed May 4, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND T. WATKINS, of Hyde Park, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Smoke-Conductors for Railand one for each car or other carriage comprisingthe train, and coupling devices whereby the sections of tubing are connected to form a continuous tube or conductor from the smoke-stack to the rear end of the train.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, the sections comprising the conductor have been cated on the roofs of the cars, and have therefore been more or less inaccessible and inconvenient to clean and repair.

My invention has for its object, first, to enable the conductor to extend under the cars,

from the engine or tender to the rear end of the rear car, and then extend upwardly and discharge the smoke, 850., above the roof of the rear car.

My invention also has for its object to provide improvedmeans for automatically coupling the sections and for automatically closing the horizontalportion of the conductor at the rear end of the train, and opening a vertical outlet extending through the roof of the car. Q

To these ends my invention consists in the improvements which I will now describe and claim,

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a railroad-train provided with my improvements. Figs. 2 and 5 representenlarged side views of the coupling and valve-operatin g devices. Figs. 3 and 6 represent enlarged top views of the same; and Figs. 4 and 7 represent enlarged sections on lines or w and y y, Figs. 3 and 6. Y i

The same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

I In carrying out my invention I provide a pipe, A, extendingbackwardly from the smokestack of a locomotive, and of sufficient size to conduct all the smoke, steam, &c., passing through the stack. A valve is located above the pipe A in the stack to close the top of the stack and to compel the smoke, 8230., to pass out through the pipe A. This valve may be opened by a rod, B, extending to the cab, when itis desired that the smoke shall pass out of the stack in the usual way. The pipe A extends horizontally over the tender of the engine and then extends downwardly to a box or chamber, M, which is located below the level of the coupling connecting the tender to the succeeding car. From the chamber M extends rearwardly a telescopic pipe composed of a section, P,having a flange, H, on its outer end and rigidly attached to the chamber M, and a section, 0, adapted to slide in the section 1?, and impelled outwardly by a spring, S, interposed between the flange H and a flange, J, formed on the outer end of the section 0. This spring-impelled section forms one member of a coupling to connect the pipe A with a horizontal pipe, A, extending under the succeeding car, the other member of the coupling being a similar sprin g-impelled section connected to a fixed section, 1?, projecting from a box or chamber, M, on the endof the pipe A. When the members of the coupling approach each other, in coupling the tender to the car, the flanges J on the sections 0 collide and the sections 0 yield sufficiently to enable the springs S to constantly press the flanges J together.

Each flange J is provided with a facing of rubber, which acts as a packing for the joint between the flanges.

The flanges H of the sections P are also faced with rubber, which forms a packing around the sliding sections and helps to support said sections.

The sections 0 are partially guided in their movements by rods a a, attached to the flange J and extending through orifices in the flange H, and the sections 0 are adapted to swing laterally to such an extent that they will remain parallel, so that the coupling will not be affected when the train is on a curve.

It will be seen that the springimpelled flanged sections 0 O constitute a self-coupling and uncoupling and self-adjusting connecting-tube which will insure the passage,

without leakage, of smoke, as, from the pen manently attached pipe or section of one car to the similar pipe of a succeeding car, and requires no attention from the train-hands.

5 It will be understood that each car in a train is provided with a pipe, A, having a telescopic pipe at each end, said telescopic pipes being all constructe d as above described.

The smoke, &c., from the locomotive will,

therefore pass, by way of the pipe A, through the pipe A of each car, to the rear end of the train, and the pipes and couplings are at all times accessible for cleaning and repairs, each pipe A being provided with an opening at 1 Wto enable the pipe to be cleaned. By this arrangement of the pipes I also prevent the drippings occasioned by water produced by condensation in the pipes from damaging the clothing of passengers or soiling any portion of the cars. It is desirable, however, that the smoke should not be discharged at the rear of the train at the level of the pipes A. To this end I provide each pipe A with two branches, 0 0, extending upwardly from the boxes M 2 M at opposite ends of the car, and terminating above the roof. I also provide each box M with a valve, V, adapted to either close the telescopic pipe or the branch 0 leading from such box. The valve V is normally held by a 0 spring, S, in position to close the telescopic pipe, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, said spring being suitably attached to the exterior of the box M and bearing against an arm, b, on the projecting end of the shaft of the valve V.

When the cars are coupled the valve V is automatically moved into position to shut ofl the branch C, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, by the rods a a, attached to the flange J of the telescopic pipe, said rods passing through 0 guiding-orifices in the flange H, and bearing against the arm 0, and a similar arm, b, on theopposite end ofthe shaft of the valveV,and forcing said valve over the mouth of the branch 0 against the pressure of the spring S. Sufficicnt movement is given the rods (1 a, when the cars are coupled, to produce the desired change in the position of the valve.

The telescopic pipe pertaining to the box M, which receives the pipe A, is provided with a valve or damper, V, which is turned by a spring to shut the pipe when the tender is uncoupled from the cars, and is turned by the movement of the section 0 to open the pipe when the tender is coupled to the car.

It will be seen that the smoke, &c., will pass under the cars to the rear end of the last car, and will then pass upwardly through the last branch 0 and escape above the roof of the car, all the other branches (1 being shut 06', so that no smoke can escape through them.

When a car is detached from a train the rear branch, C, of the preceding car is automatically connected to the pipe A, so that smoke will still escape from the roof, as before.

When the tender is disconnected from the train the valve or damper V closes, so that no smoke can pass out.

To enable the water arising from condensation in the conductor to pass out, I provide suitable depressions in the fixed sections of the conductor to receive the water, said depressions being preferably formed by extendin g the bottom of the boxes M below the level of the conductor, and I provide the bottom of each box M with an orifice, o, and this orifice I cover by a slide, 0, attached to the section 0 and moving therewith.

The slide 0 is preferablya box having aper' tures r and r in its top and bottom, and sup- 8o ported by a strap, p, under the box M. The ordinary motion of the car will cause the apertnre rot the slide to register at intervals with the aperture 0 of the box M, and thereby permit the passage of water into the slide 0, from which the water escapes through the aperture r. This arrangement will keep the boxes M clear of water without permitting leakage of smoke.

The telescopic pipes may be employed as 0 automatic eouplin gs without the valves V, and may be used on pipes extending above the roofs of the cars.

The pipes A, below the cars, are to be oval in cross-section. 5

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In combination with two flanged pipes or tubes permanently attached to railroad carroo riages or cars, the self coupling and uncoupling and self-adjusting connecting-tube, composed of the laterally swinging and sliding sections 0 0, provided with flat yielding surfaced flanges J J and springs S 8, whereby 10 said sections are forced outwardly and their flanges J J are pressed together to make the sections continuous, the lateral swingingmovements of the sections preventing their continuity from being broken when the train is on x :0 a curve, as set forth.

2. In combination with the sliding and swinging sections 0 O, the fixed tubes or sections P P, having the flanges H H, provided with rubber facings, whereby the sections 0 n 5 are packed and partially supported, as set forth.

3. In a smoke-conductor for railroad-trains, the combination of fixed pipes or flues attached to the carriages of the trains below the platforms, the vertical branches terminating above the roofs of the carriages, the springvalves V, adapted to normally close the ends of the pipes or flues, and the telescopic pipes having sliding sections 0, adapted to operate the 12 5 valves V so as to open the pipes or fines and shut off the branches when the cars are coupled, as set forth.

4. In combination with the conductor composed of the fixed and the sliding sections, the depressions in the fixed sectionsjor the accumulation of condensed water, each depression having an orifice, 0, in its bottom, and 1 subscribing witnesses, this 23d day of Febrnthe slides 0, connected to the sliding secary, A. D. 1880.

tions and caused bythe motion of the train to intermittently open and close the orifices 0; EDMUND THOS' WATKINS 5 as set forth.' Witnesses:

In testimony whereof I have signed my name WARREN S. HILL,

to this specification, in the presence of two 0. F. BROWN. 

